Circuit closing means for an electrically operated garage door



June 26, 1956 E. L. RQSE CIRCUIT CLOSING MEANS FOR AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED GARAGE DOOR Filed July 17 1953 INVENTOR ELK ose ATTORNEY5 United States Patent CIRCUIT CLOSING MEANS FOR AN ELECTRI- CALLY OPERATED GARAGE DOOR Eustace Loring Rose, Charleston, W. Va.

Application July 17, 1953, Serial No. 368,725

3 Claims. (Cl. 200-85) This .invention relates to an improved circuit closing means for an electrically operated garage door.

An object of this invention is to provide in an electrically operated garage door, means operable by movement of the vehicle for opening and closing the door.

Another object of this invention is to provide a circuit closer which is so constructed or arranged that the device will operate by movement of the vehicle wheels thereover, but cannot be operated by weight of a person.

A further object of this invention is to provide a circuit closing means which is simple in construction and positive in action.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

The figure is a diagrammatic view of an electrically operated door system with a switch operating means connected therewith, constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates a movable garage door which is opened or closed by means of a reversible motor 11. The motor 11 is connected to a source of supply by means of conductors 12 and 13 and a pair of limit switches 14 and 15 are adapted to limit the movement of the door 10 and control the operation of the motor 11. The circuits connected with the motor 11 are conventional and are herein disclosed as one form of electrically operated garage door structure with which the switch, to be hereinafter described, is adapted to be connected.

A switch member generally indicated at 16 is formed with a pair of contacts 17 and 18 which are adapted to be bridged by means of a bridging member 19. Contact 17 is connected to a conductor 20 which is connected with supply conductor 12 and contact 18 is connected to one terminal 21 of motor 11 by means of a conductor 22.

A manually operable switch 23 is interposed in conductor 20. Switch 16 also embodies a second pair of contacts 24 and 25 which are adapted to be bridged by bridging member 19 upon movement of bridge member 19 in One direction. Contact 24 is connected by means of a conductor 26 to conductor 20 and contact 25 .is connected by means of a conductor 27 to the opposite side of motor 11 as indicated at 28. A pair of bellows members 29 and 30 are disposed on opposite sides of the switch 16 and are connected to the bridging member 19 for movement of the latter by means of a connecting member 31. A pipe or tubular member 32 is connected to bellows 29 and a tubular member 33 is connected to bellows member 30. The two tubes or pipes 32 and 33 are connected together by means of a flexible tubing 34 which as shown in the drawing is disposed in overlying position with respect to a driveway 35. The flexible tube 34 is disposed on an oblique angle to the length of the Fee driveway 35 and .is adapted to be collapsed by rolling of a wheel thereover.

The flexible tube 34 extends angularly and obliquely across the driveway 35 for a substantial length of the driveway so that as a wheel rides over the tubular member 34 and collapses or presses this tubular member flat, the air which is in tubular member 34 will be compressed in the direction of one of the bellows members 29 or 30 so as to thereby expand bellows member and move bridging member 19 to a circuit closing position. In other words, as shown in the drawing, a vehicle moving out of the garage or to the left, a wheel will ride over the flexible member 34 and flatten this flexible member in the direction of the movement of the vehicle so as to thereby increase the pressure in bellows 30 and at the same time produce a lower pressure or substantial vacuum in bellows 29.

When bridging member 19 .is moved to the right, by increasing pressure and expanding of bellows 30, bridging member 19 will engage contacts 17 and 18 and close the circuit to motor 11, whereby motor 11 will move door 10 to a closed position.

When the vehicle is moved to the right, pressure in bellows 29 will be increased causing expansion of bellows 29 and movement of bridge member 19 to the left so as to bridge contacts 24 and 25 and close the circuit to motor 11, in order that motor 11 will move door 10 to an opening position.

In the event a person should stand on tubular member 34, this member may collapse under weight of the person, but the pressures in the bellows 29 and 30 will be equalized so that no movement of bridging member 19 will result.

It will be understood that the electric circuit connected between the motor 11 and limit switches 14 and 15 may include suitably relays, not shown; the relays being omitted for facility of illustration.

The device hereinbefore described embodying the switch 16 with the bellows 29 and 30 and the tubular connections 32, 33 and 34 are preferably constructed in the form of an attachment for an electrically operated door structure for eiiecting opening and closing of the door by movement of the vehicle over a flexible tube 34.

What is claimed is:

l. A circuit closing means for an electrically operated garage door comprising a switch formed of opposed pairs of contacts, a bridging member between said contacts, a pair of bellows disposed one on each side of said bridging member, means connecting said bellows to said bridging member, and a flexible tubular member having opposed open ends and each of said ends being connected with one of said bellows, said tubular member having an intermediate portion engageable on a driveway at an oblique angle to the length thereof whereby collapsing of said tubular member by weight of a vehicle wheel will progressively collapse said tubular member and effect expansion of one of said bellows and thereby effect engagement of said bridging member with one pair of said contacts.

2. In an electrically operated garage door, a switch formed of opposed pairs of contacts, a bridging member between said contacts, a pair of bellows members disposed one on each side of said bridging member, means securing the confronting inner ends of said bellows to said bridging member, and an elongated flexible tube secured to the outer ends of said bellows, said tube having a straight intermediate portion adapted to be disposed on a driveway at an oblique length to the driveway whereby the Weight of a wheel moving thereover will effect expansion of one bellows with contraction of the other of said bellows and movement of said bridging member to circuit closing position.

a 3 4 a y 3. In an electrically operated garage door, a switch References Cited in the file of this patent formed of opposed pairs 'of contacts, a bridging member UNITED STATES PATENTS between said contacts, a bellows means connected with said bridging member, and an elongated flexible tube se- 528,672 PY 18,94 cured to the opposite ends of said bellows means, said 5 1,007,178 Blnmgs 1911 tube having a straight intermediate portion adapted to be 13355805 Sherman 231 1920 disposed on a driveway at an oblique angle to the length 25;

of the driveway whereby the weight of a wheel moving thereover Will effect expansion of said bellows means in one direction and movement of said bridging member to 10 circuit closing position. 

